Chemistry course for radiochemistry engineers on the platform Moodle: a support to self-education for undergraduate students

The education challenges at present times include the incorporation of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the learning-teaching process. In Higher Education the agreement between the volume of information to be processed by the student, the available student’s time and the assimilation of the courses contents is very important. The new study plans in Cuban Universities include the reduction of the number of face to face hours and the increase of the available time for the student’s independent study. Then, it is necessary to develop abilities that upgrade learning capacity during a lifetime through the self-education. The first version of a course on chemistry for radiochemistry students using the platform Moodle and Open Educational Resources (OER) as a support to the undergraduate course is presented. The detailed topic plan of the course of chemistry for radiochemists, which was distributed week by week, and different activities combining communication, interactive and collaborative modules were implemented on the platform Moodle. The whole system was tested during the first semester of the 2010-2011 academic year. The course evaluation results were carried out through a survey among the students and discussion forums. The results showed a good acceptance by the students, a better efficiency in the teaching-learning process given by better planning of the individual study, a better preparation to perform the laboratory practices, the new possibilities of communication between students and teachers, the access to OER and greater self-conscious of the students on their own process of learning

Do quantum dots allow one access to pseudogap Kondo physics?

For the last decade, tunable quantum dot systems have allowed the investigation of Kondo physics wherein the quenching of a single spin on an artificial atom affects the conductance. The pseudogap Kondo model featuring a density of states $\rho(\epsilon)$ = C$|\epsilon|^{r}$, introduced by Withoff and Fradkin in 1990 was predicted to exhibit Kondo-like physics above a critical value of the Kondo coupling, J$_c$, which several groups have shown by numerical renormalization group (RG) is finite for r$< {1/2}$. Gonzalez-Buxton {\it{et al}} showed that the strong coupling limit of the particle-hole symmetric model leads to a non-trivial $\frac{\pi (1-r)}{2}$ phase shift at low temperatures indicating incomplete screening of the local moment, while away from particle-hole symmetry one generically flows towards a ground state with $\delta \sim \pi$. We examine the implications of this model for quantum dots whose leads are Fermi-liquid-like, yet possess a tunneling density of states which is suppressed at the Fermi energy as a power law.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure, poster to be presented at SCES'04 Karlsruhe July 26-3

Genesis Mission Bulk Metallic Glass Solar Wind Collector: Characterization of Return Samples Available for Re-Allocation

The Genesis mission collected solar wind atoms for 28 months with a variety of collectors mounted on a spacecraft. A total of fifteen pure materials were selected as collectors based on engineering and science requirements. One of the materials was the bulk metallic glass (BMG). It was intended for collecting noble gases and solar energetic particles (SEP). This material is an amorphous metal which was custom made by C.C. Hays at the California Institute of Technology. The final glass composition is Zr58.5Nb2.8Cu15.6Ni12.8Al10.3 (in atom percent). The BMG was located on top of the wafer array mechanism and was exposed for the entire time the science canister was open (~28 months). Fortunately, the BMG did not suffer any serious damage and was intact after the Genesis canisters hard-landing into the Utah desert (Fig. 1)

Concise Definition of the Overcurrent Protection System for CIGRE European Medium Voltage Benchmark Network

In the significant widespread transition towards clean energies, there has been an unstoppable trend in integrating renewable energy sources (RSs) in distribution networks. However, the massive penetration of integrated multisources into conventional distribution systems may create several operational problems, such as malfunctioning protection systems. This paper concisely defines the setting for overcurrent protection applied to the CIGRE European (EU) Medium Voltage (MV) benchmark network. The benchmark system is commonly recommended for RSs penetration studies. In this paper, the authors show the calculations and results of the nondirectional and directional overcurrent protection relay in a very educational and detailed way. The definition of the settings considers several operating situations and two short-circuit (SC) types: three-phase and single-line-to-ground. The main contribution of this paper is a well-documented and validated overcurrent protection settings of the CIGR EU MV that can be used for teaching and research purposes

Análisis participativo de las dinámicas socio-ecológicas en las cabeceras de cuenca de los ríos Cautín y Bio-Bio en Chile

This document presents an analysis of the Lonquimay and the Curacautin landscapes as a socio-ecological system. The two commune areas constitute the Araucarias of Alto Malleco Forest Model in Chile, respective headwaters of the Bio Bio and the Cautin rivers. The first section introduces the analysis, by presenting its context, the issue addressed and the objective of analyzing socio-ecological dynamics. The second section, Material and Methods, tells how the analysis was led in Lonquimay and in Curacautin, presenting the PARDI method (Problem-Actors-Resources-Dynamics-Interactions) and describing the fieldwork for building conceptual models that allow to visualize practices of land use and water management. The third section of the document presents results. They consist in the formulation of the water security problem that the people of Lonquimay and Curacautin considered a central and shared issue; in the characterization and location of actors and resources that are involved in this problem; and in the representation of the main dynamics and interactions that link those actors and resources. For each landscape, two conceptual models were built, from the biophysical and the legal standpoints. The discussion section deals with the possibility to integrate both standpoints; with the mere modelling process, and; with the cost elements of water access. Main uncertainties highlighted by the analysis are revised and the report concludes by summing up our major findings in this participatory investigation process on socio-ecological dynamics.Este documento presenta un análisis de los sistemas socio-ecológicos conformados por las comunas de Lonquimay y de Curacautín del Bosque Modelo Araucarias de Alto Malleco (BMAAM) en Chile, respectivamente las cabeceras de las cuencas del Imperial y del Bio Bio. La primera sección introduce el análisis, presentando su contexto, problemática y objetivo, siempre en el marco del proyecto de investigación-acción EcoAdapt. La segunda sección explica cómo se desarrolló el análisis de las dinámicas socio-ecológicas en las comunas de Lonquimay y de Curacautín. Presenta el método PARDI (Problemática, Actores, Dinámica e Interacciones) y el trabajo de campo realizado para llegar a la construcción de modelos conceptuales que permiten visualizar las prácticas en el uso del suelo y el manejo del agua. La tercera sección presenta los resultados. Incluyen la formulación de una problemática compartida de seguridad hídrica en los dos territorios del BMAAM; la caracterización y ubicación de los actores y recursos que conciernen a la problemática común y la representación de las principales dinámicas e interacciones que vinculan dichos actores y recursos. En cada territorio, se construyeron dos modelos: con enfoque biofísico y con enfoque legal. La sección de discusión reflexiona sobre la posibilidad de integrar ambos enfoques, sobre el proceso de modelación conceptual, y sobre elementos de costos para el acceso al agua. Se revisan las principales incertidumbres vislumbradas en el análisis y la conclusión del informe recapitula los hallazgos de la investigación llevada en un proceso participativo

Enseignement de la chimie pour ingénieurs : premier cours de l’INSTEC sur plateforme MOODLE

Les développements scientifique et technique imposent de nouveaux challenges à l’éducation, tels que l’utilisation des Technologies de l’Information et des Communications. A l’INSTEC de La Havane (Cuba), le plan D d’enseignement a commencé dans les spécialités de Radiochimie et Génie Nucléaire, la chimie générale étant une des matières du cursus. Dans ce travail, il est présenté la première version d’un cours sur la plateforme MOODLE comme support au cours de chimie pour Ingénieurs. Le plan d’activités et d’évaluations du cours par semaine a été défini, de même que le plan thématique, les normes de sécurité pour le travail dans le laboratoire de chimie et son évaluation en ligne, le manuel des travaux pratiques de laboratoire et le texte digitalisé des conférences et séminaires. Un espace de communication professeurs-élèves à travers un forum a été ouvert. Le système a été testé pendant un semestre. Les résultats de l’application du système ont été évalués